BGTWHow do whales breathe? (Through a blowhole). How did Bluetooth get its name? (From a rune stone). What does the word ‘lego’ mean? (Play well). These are just some of the unusual facts that we learned on an action-packed family trip to Denmark. With me, two daughters and two grandchildren under 10, making an age…
I broke my phone. As in I actively, with intent, broke my phone. Never one to do things by halves, in a fit of hormonal rage (yoga is not working), as ten consecutive very bad things had happened in a few days, I smashed the mobile to the floor and then picked it up, realising…
In the cloak of fading darkness, shadows appear in the delicate hues of a new dawn. An apparition of tangerine-robed figures takes shape from the soft glow oozing from the temple before me. One by one, in silent reverence, a procession of figures tread the morning journey, respecting social distancing, sombre, eerily quiet. Barefooted, young,…
The atoll of islands the Maldives bashes every travel writing cliché into touch. Talcum powder sand, azure bath warm waters, one of the best (if not the best) diving and snorkelling experiences in the world (extra cudos I am told if you take your PADI here). Resorts with beach villas with open air bathrooms, showering…
The ticket collector looks very young; his uniform is too big and swamps him. He seems happy working on the train which, he says, is what he would like to do when he grows up. His name is Levi and if I had to guess I’d put him at maybe twelve years old – which…
With a sudden tug, Henry sends a slug of sake over my hand. Blame it on the toy poodle in the distance. Or me for trying to hold a one-cup sake with his lead wrapped around my drinking hand. In fairness, it wouldn’t be a one-cup if I didn’t spill a bit. The pull-tab lids…
Sarah Tucker takes a trip down under to Sydney’s winter and the annual drama that is the Vivid Festival. Sydney becomes a living firework for three weeks during the Vivid Festival (vividfestival.com) due to celebrate its 12th anniversary in 2020. Known for the best New Year fireworks in the world over Sydney bridge, the festival…
Draped in silk and hand-woven gowns shimmering like rainbows, town folk and farmers come from every direction; women with babies bobbing on their back, old people leaning on bamboo staffs, men in knee-length chequered ‘ghos‘ with sweeping white cuffs and sashes, and garlands of children whose dark eyes sparkle with excitement. They walk up the…
Every now and then I’m tempted to waste anything from 5 to 10 euros on lottery tickets, for which the numbers are chosen automatically, sold at the check-out at my local Helsinki supermarket. I gave up choosing my own numbers ages ago. The street number of my house, my birthday, my mum’s birthday, the date…
As dawn approaches atop Tonodake (Mount To), a chill wind whips over the exposed peak. Off to the west, Mount Fuji begins to emerge as the darkness that cups the peaks of the Tanzawa range fades to a fleeting purple hue before the rising sun changes the sky to a more familiar hazy orange. The…
With dozens of islands to choose from in the Seychelles, where do you start? After Mahe, Praslin and La Digue have been visited, this choice of three others will satisfy most in terms of price, quality, wildlife experience and environment, writes Geoff Moore of The Travel Trunk: Cerf Closest of the three is Cerf Island;…
For many of us a week baking at the beach no longer cuts it. Today, hot on the heels of ecotourism and voluntourism, comes fair trade tourism. The fastest-growing sector of the tourism industry, fair trade travel started as a ‘do-good’ concept aimed at protecting and uplifting the communities we holiday amongst. Simply put, this…
Having enjoyed several narrowboat holidays with our teenage children, my husband and I were only too pleased when our daughter Bridget suggested an intergenerational trip with her two small boys. ‘Tunnel ahead’ shouted Grandpa at the tiller as he spotted the entrance of the 2042-yard Braunston Tunnel on our first voyage with them. As the boat…
The BGTW board responds to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on travel Travel is changing in ways that were unimaginable just a few weeks ago because of coronavirus. Every day brings more news of the drastic changes to the business, the experience of travellers, how and where we can go, and the precautions we…
Successful family holidays don’t just happen, especially three-generational ones. Without careful pre-planning, the holiday could turn out to be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Crucially, will there be something that everyone likes to do? What kind of accommodation will be the most suitable? Seaside or mountains? At home or abroad? Regardless of cost, going…
